News Archives - SAFE AND SOUND

Derby Charity Worker Cycles Across Portugal, Boosting Funds For Child Safeguarding

May 30, 2025 | Fundraising, News

Alison, a dedicated team member from the Derby-based charity Safe and Sound, has successfully completed an epic personal challenge, cycling 325km across Portugal from Sagres in the West to the Spanish border in the East. Her arduous six-day journey, which saw her cycle between 48 and 70 km daily across cobbles, rough terrain, and paved roads, was undertaken to raise crucial funds for the charity’s work with vulnerable young people.

Alison, who proudly works for Safe and Sound, highlighted her deep commitment to its mission.

“I chose to raise money for Safe and Sound as they are an amazing charity that I am proud to be able to say I work for,” Alison stated. “The money raised can enable us to help even more children and young people. It would support one person’s whole journey with Safe and Sound, or 20 individual sessions or 4 youth activities.”

Recounting her experience, Alison shared the highs and lows of the ride. “The toughest part of the ride was turning a corner and coming across yet more cobbles – that was very painful!” she laughed. “Riding along the boardwalks and across the cliffs was amazing. We hoped to see flamingos near Tavira, but they didn’t show up!” she added.

The cycling tour was organised, with luggage transported daily to the next hotel, meaning Alison and her companions only needed to carry water and snacks. Remarkably, Alison’s physical condition held up well.

“My legs were actually fine despite having had both knees replaced only 12 and 8 months ago!” she revealed.

She credits her regular weekend cycling with a group of similar-age and ability women in Duffield, typically covering 30km every Saturday morning. This wasn’t her first cycling adventure, having previously completed tours from Anglesey to Chester and a long weekend through the Derbyshire hills.

“Riding with my friends on this trip made it far more enjoyable,” Alison said. “We encouraged each other up the hills and over the cobbles and also enjoyed the times off the bikes in the saunas and steam rooms.”

For anyone considering taking up cycling, Alison offers strong encouragement. “If anyone else is thinking of getting into cycling then I would thoroughly encourage them to do so. It is so good for your mental and physical health and has little to no impact on the joints.” She also emphasised the motivation that comes from a charity challenge. “Making it into a challenge and getting sponsorship gives you the motivation to tackle the longer routes each day – there were shorter options, but because I had been sponsored I wanted to do the maximum mileage possible each day.”

Tracy Harrison, CEO of Safe and Sound, commented:

“We are absolutely bursting with pride for Ali’s extraordinary achievement. To cycle 325km across challenging terrain, especially with her recent knee replacements, is a testament to her incredible strength and determination. Her dedication to Safe and Sound, both as an employee and now as an awe-inspiring fundraiser, is truly remarkable. The funds she has raised will make a tangible difference, directly enabling more young people to access our vital services and experience the engaging activities that are so crucial for their development and well-being. Ali is a shining example of the passion that drives our team.”

Festive Bikers Join Toy Run Convoy

Dec 9, 2024 | Christmas, News

Around 200 motorcyclists from across Derbyshire are expected to take part in this year’s Upright Christmas Toy Run on Saturday December 14.

Organised by Derbyshire police’s Upright Derbyshire team, the annual toy run will support Derbyshire’s specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound, who protect and support children, young people and families whose lives are affected by child exploitation.

Bikers, dressed in festive costumes, will start gathering at Andrew Paul Upholstery in Fields Farm Road, Long Eaton, from 10am and then set off in convoy at 12 noon with a police escort to Derby.

The convoy will finish around 45 minutes later at Safe and Sound’s offices in Darley Abbey Mills to deliver hundreds of Christmas presents for the children and their families.

Organiser PC Craig Holmes explained: “Upright Bikes is a safety awareness initiative led by Derbyshire police in recognition that motorbikes make up just 1% of vehicles on the road but are involved in 19% of accidents across the county.”

“This will be our fifth toy run and we are hoping for the best response ever – both in terms of the gifts donated and the number of bikers joining the convoy.”

“We were keen to donate the gifts to Safe and Sound because this is all about the most vulnerable road users supporting some of the most vulnerable children and young people in our county.”

Safe and Sound CEO Tracy Harrison added: “The Upright Bikes Toy Run is an incredible sight and we are honoured that they have chosen to support us again this year.”

“These presents will bring so much joy to the young people and families who we support at a very dark time in their lives and who thoroughly deserve light and happiness at this special time of year.”

Charity’s Plans For New City Centre Safe Space

May 13, 2024 | News, News, Press Releases

Derbyshire’s specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound, is forging ahead with plans to create a safe place in Derby city centre for young people and families where they can engage with an expanded range of support services and activities to help them re-build their lives.

The charity has secured the purchase of 8 Bold Lane, a former restaurant in Derby’s Cathedral Quarter, which will enable the specialist team to support more young people and families and provide a broader range of services. The charity will also make space available for other charities and organisations to deliver their services.

Safe and Sound works with children as young as seven, young people and their families across Derbyshire whose lives have been affected by child exploitation including online grooming, sexual exploitation, County Lines, trafficking, modern slavery and radicalisation.

The charity is currently based in rented offices in Darley Abbey and rents further space for activity and therapy work.

Thanks to £250,000 funding from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities’ Community Ownership Fund, plans are now being drawn up for the restoration and refurbishment work required to make the three-storey building fit for purpose. Work is due to start imminently and take around six months to complete.

The vision is to provide safe and welcoming ground-floor space for a community hub and a wide range of activities delivered by both Safe and Sound and other youth and family-focused organisations including YMCA, Derby County Community Trust and Umbrella.

The flexibility of the space will enable activities and therapies to be expanded ranging from arts and crafts and music to drama and sport.

The other two floors will include space for 121 and group support, meetings and workshops as well as office accommodation for Safe and Sound’s team and volunteers who are based there.

Fundraising for equipment and specialist facilities will continue under the charity’s Butterfly Appeal banner with the first donations secured including the donation of office equipment from Geldards solicitors and a £4,299 grant from Toyota Manufacturing UK to pay for youth activities equipment at the centre.

Last year, Safe and Sound supported a record 343 children and young people who had been victims of or at risk of child exploitation. The charity largely works with 7-18 year olds but includes up to 25 if there are special educational needs and or disability (SEND) issues or children leaving care.

The charity works with boys and girls. Around 30% of the young people have SEND and 29% did not identify as White British. Workers also regularly support young people who identify as gay, non-binary and trans.

Safe and Sound offers a range of innovative, hands-on programmes to help young people understand what has happened to them, rebuild their confidence and move onto a place of emotional safety, protected from further harm.

Support services include:

– 121 and group support

– Outreach work in local communities

– Practical support for families including parents and siblings

– Positive activities for young people

– Support through the criminal justice system

– Longer-term support to transition into positive outcomes such as education and employment

– Specialist support for New Communities and young people with special educational needs.

Safe and Sound chair Mark Richardson, who is a director of BBJ Commercial, has been working with fellow trustees, CEO Tracy Harrison and key partners in the city to bring the vision to reality.

He explained that the purchase of 8 Bold Lane was the culmination of two years’ discussions and site visits and was a milestone moment for Safe and Sound, the wider voluntary sector and for the vibrancy of the city centre.

“We have outgrown our rented offices in Darley Abbey Mills and there has always been a desire to have city centre premises to provide a safe and welcoming space for the young people and families that our specialist team supports.

“I am delighted that we have found the premises that will be the long-term home for everyone who works at and is supported by Safe and Sound as well as providing much needed accessible space for other organisations supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our local communities.

“The property has been vacant for some time and is in disrepair so this is an excellent opportunity to see it brought back to life. Its location next to the Electric Daisy environmental social enterprise further brings new cultural diversity and community to the area

“I am particularly grateful for the support shown by fellow professionals in the commercial property, construction and legal fields who have recognised the value that Safe and Sound brings to our city and county and who have provided us with their expertise to enable us to secure this purchase.”

CEO Tracy Harrison outlined the importance of upscaling facilities and capacity to support young people and their families whose lives had been affected by child exploitation.

She explained that child exploitation was a rapidly growing problem:

Almost 34,000 online grooming crimes against children were recorded in the past six years
6,350 Sexual Communication with a Child offences were recorded in 2022/23
In 2021/22, there were 17,486 crimes logged by police in England in Wales where children had been sexually exploited – an average of 48 offences a day.

She said: “Referrals for our services have doubled since the pandemic – reflecting the reality that any child, anywhere – regardless of their age, sex or family background – is at risk of child exploitation.

“However, we have been constricted by having to rent premises not only for our team but to provide an expanding programme of activities, support and therapies which are so vital to help young people and their families affected by exploitation to move forward with their lives.

“The Bold Lane premises will be an amazing community asset that will increase our impact by providing a centrally located safe and welcoming space for children and young people who are at risk of exploitation as well as their families.

“Our youth participation and parents as peers groups will continue to be heavily involved in the project plan – advising us on the facilities they want and we will continue to consult with our Youth Alliance partners throughout the process to ensure that this facility will benefit everyone.”

Mrs Harrison continued: “With the purchase secured, the Community Ownership Fund grant has enabled us to move quickly on the renovation of the property and we hope to be ready to open our doors in early 2025.

“We still have a long shopping list of equipment that we want to buy and special features that we want to include in the community hub so will be stepping up our efforts through the Butterfly Appeal to make this a reality.”

Golf Day Supports Vulnerable Young People and Families Across Derbyshire

Nov 16, 2023 | Events, Fundraising, News, Press Releases

A golf day organised by two Derby businesses has raised £2,000 for the county’s specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound.

A group of 64 golfers took part in the event organised by Invictus Communications in Melbourne and German Automotive service and repair centre in Ascot Drive, Derby.

Jonny McPhee, managing director of Invictus Communications has been a long-time supporter of Safe and Sound including installing a new telephony system at the charity’s offices to ensure they could keep their helplines open.

He also nominated Safe and Sound to be the chosen charity for the recent East Midlands Business Awards which raised £13,000 to support their work.

He said: “Safe and Sound do an incredible job protecting and supporting young people and families whose lives are affected by child exploitation.

“Therefore, when we started planning the golf day with Ian Essex and the team at German Automotive, I was adamant that Safe and Sound would be a chosen charity for fundraising on the day.

“Our whole ethos is buy local, sell local and support local and I am delighted that we have once again been able to make a positive difference to this amazing charity.”

Tracy Harrison, CEO of Safe and Sound met with the golfers on the day as they teed off. She said: “Once again we are very grateful for the generosity shown by Invictus Communications and the businesses and individuals they work with.

“Every penny raised goes into directly supporting young people and families in our local communities through 121 and group support, positive activities and outreach work.

“We can only do this with the support of our local business community and I hope they all realise what a positive difference they are making to so many people’s lives.”

https://safeandsoundgroup.org.uk/

https://www.invictuscomms.com/

https://germanauto.co.uk/

Derby Businessman Opens Doors To Match Funding For Local Charity

Nov 6, 2023 | Fundraising, News, Press Releases

The generosity of a Derby business owner will enable specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound, to provide vital support to more than ten young people and their families over the coming year through match funding.

John Shaw, managing director of family-run Vibrant Doors in Sinfin doubled the amount raised at a recent music night to raise funds for Safe and Sound which supports and protects children, young people and families whose lives are affected by child exploitation.

That pledge, in turn, was match funded by Big Give – bringing the total raised for the charity to £5,800.

Mr Shaw set up Vibrant Doors at his kitchen table in 2012, and now heads up a team of 20 who supply internal and external doors and accessories to customers across the UK.

He said: “I was blown away when I attended the music night and learnt more about the incredible work that Safe and Sound do to support and protect children, young people and families across the county.

“I am Derby born and bred and, as a family business, we are all committed to supporting our local communities in whatever way we can.

“I am particularly passionate about supporting young people to develop their skills and confidence to progress in the workplace and most of our management team started here straight from school.

“Safe and Sound therefore match our company values and I am delighted that our support has opened the doors to match funding for the charity to provide support for young people and families who really need it.”

Safe and Sound CEO Tracy Harrison added: “Any child, anywhere, can become a victim of child exploitation whether through online grooming or being targeted by individuals and gangs who prey on the vulnerabilities of young people.

“The youngest person we worked with this year is eight years old. We are also supporting a growing number of families because the impact of child exploitation has a ripple effect – potentially destroying lives and family relationships.

“The generosity of companies and individuals across the county like John and the Vibrant Doors team enables us to provide specialist 121 and group support as well as organising positive activities to build self confidence and providing much-needed outreach support within local communities blighted by child exploitation.

“We are so grateful that this donation opened further doors through the Big Give national initiative and this money raised will be a lifeline so many young people and families across the county who need support to move forward positively with their lives.”

The music night, held at The Venue in Abbey Street features some of Derby’s most successful and up and coming music and dance performers and was organised by Sharon Jackson, a former case worker at Safe and Sound who is the founder of Shield – a safeguarding and child protection training service.

Sharon Jackson concluded: “The music night was a fantastic showcase for local talent, particularly young and up and coming musicians and dancers from this area. As well as generating new audiences for these superb performers, it raised much-needed funds to help the charity expand its work across the county.”

For more information about the work of Safe and Sound, please visit https://safeandsoundgroup.org.uk

Parry Creative Develops Charity’s Brand Identity

Oct 10, 2023 | News, News, Press Releases

Derby-based Parry Creative has completed the first stages of a brand development project for specialist child exploitation charity, Safe and Sound, which is designed to better reflect the expanded range of services it provides to local communities.

The team has invested their time and expertise into Safe and Sound after founder and Managing Director Laura Parry attended fundraising events where she learnt more about the charity’s work.

Work so far completed includes refreshing the branding of the charity’s on-going Butterfly Appeal, created icons which will ally to the different and expanded service areas and updating the marketing materials’ colour palette.

Further work planned includes creating templates for future marketing materials and ongoing support for fundraising events.

Laura Parry explained: “The charitable sector is facing so many funding and profile challenges in this economic climate that a strong and consistent brand identity which builds recognition and reputation is more important than ever.

“Having become established within the Derby business community we were keen to put something back and chose to focus on Safe and Sound because of the passion, dedication and energy shown by the Safe and Sound team and particularly CEO Tracy Harrison.

“The feedback to the work completed so far has been very positive and I hope that this will help the Safe and Sound team in their marketing communication activities in the future.”

Tracy Harrison added: “We are in the fortunate position that we have been able to grow our services and support more young people and families than ever before but that has led to our brand identity becoming rather messy.

“Parry Creative have taken the time to really understand what we do and how we do it and has used their expertise to provide the tools we need to better communicate with our target audiences in a clear and consistent manner.

“Pro bono support from professionals is a life line to charities such as ours as it enables us to improve our operations whilst utilising the income that we do have to directly support and protect children, young people and their families whose lives have been affected by child exploitation.

“I am therefore extremely grateful to Laura and the team for giving us their time and expertise on such an important project at this vital stage in our charity’s future development.”

For more information about Parry Creative, visit https://parrycreative.co.uk/ and to find out how to support Safe and Sound and the work they do in local communities, visit https://safeandsoundgroup.org.uk

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